Victims of Tomorrow
by Raindrop Ninja
Summary: Shadamy AU. Amy is a scientist for the most important organization on Earth. Their rival, the Eggman Organization, is based in a neighboring city, but due to the immense animosity between the two companies, no one dares travel between cities. So how did Shadow, the Eggman Org's secret weapon, end up in Amy's backyard? And how do two people with opposing personalities live together?
1. Chapter 1: Falling to Circumstance

**Wow, I haven't been active here in a while… It's been months since I last posted anything to good ol' FF-dot-net. But I have finally returned! After a months-long writing dry spell I have finally started to write again, this time for one of my fave fandoms of all time- Sonic. I rediscovered it recently and, in the process, rediscovered why Shadamy is one of my biggest OTPs ever. But enough of my rambling- I hope you enjoy this story. If all goes well, I plan to update it on a weekly basis (or something like that), and I should have a few other Shadamy stories making it out here soon. Also, just a note: this _is_ an AU. Earth in this story is inhabited by humans and Mobians alike. Anyhow, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Rain**

* * *

The night sky was clear save for a few clouds scudding about here and there, temporarily hiding the few visible stars only to pull away and leave them naked and vulnerable once more.

It was as if they were taunting him.

It was as if the heavens themselves, from which he was so far, were saying, _Run, run little fugitive, entertain us, for no matter how or where you hide, they'll find you, they'll find you you helpless rat, they'll find you and then you'll be gone from our sight forever._

Red eyes darted to the sky above, through the canopy of trees, then drifted back down to the dim path before him. He dared not look behind him in search of the city's receding skyline, nor would he give thought to the possibility of things lurking in the shadows of the forest, waiting to pounce on him and drag him back to that hellish prison. All that occupied his thoughts was running. Escaping. Keep running, don't let them catch him, don't let them take him back there. Running as he had been for the past- twenty? twenty-five?- minutes. His breathing was ragged and his left hand clutched his right arm over a fresh wound, blood matting his fur and staining his white gloves red. Other wounds, just as new, burned with pain and made his fur sticky and hot.

The forest soon broke out into an open field. Fog had rolled in thickly and he could scarcely see ten feet in front of him, but he kept running blindly, ignoring his burning lungs and his whole body crying out in anguish and exhaustion. Running was all he could do.

A fence appeared before him out of the fog and he slowed slightly, mustering up his fading strength and using it to vault the obstacle…

Only to fall a significant height to the ground. He landed unevenly- he was not prepared for such a drop- at the top of a rocky, flowered slant, and failed to catch his balance in time. Tumbling roughly down the small incline, the battered fugitive ended up in an ungraceful heap on the ground. And there he stayed. Because no matter how badly he wanted- needed- to get up and keep running, no matter how strongly he willed his body to move, he simply could not continue. All adrenaline had fled from his body, and with it had gone the last vestiges of strength that he'd possessed. His vision blurred- or was that just the fog?- and blackness closed in around him, smothering his muddled mind and enveloping his body like a blanket.

 _~The next morning…~_

A breeze drifted through the open window and ruffled pink quills. A small black nose twitched and jade green eyes fluttered open. A pink hedgehog sat up and stretched, mouth opening and canines showing in a yawn. She glanced out the window at the bright blue sky, and saw tiny white clouds that were reminiscent of cotton balls. Smiling, she stood, yawned again, and went to the window to open it. Her bright green eyes proudly scanned over her flowers on the slope in the backyard and- wait. Something was wrong with them. They looked… Squished? Whatever they looked like, Amy Rose had certainly never seen her flowers look like _that_ before. Her brow furrowed and, throwing on a fuzzy robe, she hurried downstairs to investigate.

She had the back door halfway open when she stopped in her tracks and screamed.

She had been too absorbed in the plight of her flowers earlier to notice a crumpled black figure lying motionless at the base of the slope. Amy stood stock still for a few long moments, then turned stiffly around and went back inside, grabbing her Piko Hammer from its usual spot. 'Better safe than sorry,' she rationalized in her head as she returned to the door and opened it up wide. Taking small, slow steps, she approached the unmoving figure. It was a person- another hedgehog, she found, colored black and red. "...Hello?" she called out uncertainly, hammer at the ready. However, no response came from the figure, and her racing heart relaxed a bit as she lowered her hammer and knelt beside the other hedgehog.

"He's unconscious…" Amy murmured to herself as she felt a weak pulse at his wrist. "Wait- ew! What-?" She winced and pulled her hand away as she felt something wet, noticing that her fingers were covered in some type of red residue. "N-No way… Is this blood?" she stammered in shock. Was this a joke or something? What if someone had been attacked in her backyard? 'What do I do?'

Just then the doorbell rang, jolting her from her stupor. "C-Coming!" she called. She rapidly drew the blinds over the sliding glass back door before hurrying to answer the doorbell, hiding her dirtied hand behind her back and opening the door with the other. "Hello?"

"Amy! Are you alright, hun? Is everything okay?" It was her best friend Rouge, and to say she looked worried would be an understatement. "I heard that scream from my house!" Also being Amy's neighbor down the street, her hearing was no surprise due to her being a bat.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine, I just went to go water my flowers and a spider fell on my head," Amy explained with a sheepish grin as she gave Rouge a quick hug. "Sorry to worry you."

Rouge still looked concerned, but she seemed to believe Amy, and just sighed. "Jeez, don't scare me like that!"

Amy just rubbed her eyes sleepily with her free hand, still half-smiling as she mumbled, "Sorry." The other female just yawned in response.

"Well, still, you need anything, you call me, you got it?"

The hedgehog smiled. "Got it. Thanks Rouge."

After the bat left, Amy sighed. She didn't like lying to her friend like that, but- wait, why _did_ she lie? Why didn't she just tell Rouge the truth? Rouge probably would have known what to do… Then again, she wasn't sure if Rouge would have even believed that an injured, unconscious hedgehog had randomly appeared in her backyard.

Her attention returned to the issue at hand, which was of what to do about her unexpected visitor. Should she call the police? No, he might be dead before they got here, and besides which, she would sound awfully silly if she reported an attack that may or may not have ever happened. She had to find out who he was before she could decide on anything, she supposed.

...Well, there was no way she'd get anything out of him while he was unconscious, and his wounds looked pretty bad, so she couldn't just let him lie there and bleed until he decided to wake up, if/when he did. He probably wouldn't last very long without at least some medical care. Alright then, she decided, the first thing to do was to give him some medical treatment. After racing up to her room and changing into some old, worn-out clothes, she hurried back downstairs and laid out some towels on the couch so that the blood wouldn't stain the upholstery, then went back out to retrieve the injured hedgehog. However, she quickly hit a bit of a roadblock: getting him into the house. He was a deal larger than she was, and complete dead weight. Still, she considered herself to be pretty strong, and she had to get him inside one way or another. She rolled up her sleeves and sighed.

It took a few attempts, but Amy's efforts were not in vain, and she soon had the crimson-and-black hedgehog settled face-up on the towel-covered couch. She was a scientist, not a doctor, but she still knew the basics of first aid. Using several clean rags and bandages, she cleaned up and dressed her patient's wounds to the best of her abilities, doing her very best to ignore how suspiciously like bullet wounds some of his injuries were. She also removed and cleaned his bloody white gloves, noting the cracked and faded gold rings around his wrists and his lack of footwear.

After she had done all that she could for him, she laid a light blanket over him, leaving next to him a glass of water on a small table in case he should awaken. Then, she left him be, going to shower and tend to her traumatized flowers. It was her day off- Saturday- and she only worked half of Sunday, so she had plenty of time to fix up her flowers. And monitor her "guest".

Lifting a drooping blossom with her finger, Amy sighed. "Man, what happened to you little guys?"


	2. Chapter 2: First Impressions

**A/N: So I actually already had this chapter mostly written up. That coupled with the (so far) positive feedback I've gotten on this story- thank you to** **QuirkyRevelations** **and** **Sonic the Dovahkiin** **for reviewing!- and you have the reason for this chapter being up so soon. Having just gotten back into the Sonic fandom not too long ago, my characterisation of everyone may be a bit unsure, but believe me when I say I'm working on it and doing the best I can. Also, yes I am aware that the ambiguity with which Shadow is referred to in the first part of this chapter may be a bit awkward, but it simply didn't feel right to me to call him by his name until introductions were had. And as for all of the switching from Amy's thoughts and feelings to Shadow's, just assume that each line break is a change of perspective. Sorry if it's confusing, it'll go away altogether soon. Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

 ******* **A quick note:** **I made a mistake in the last chapter, which will have been edited out by the time this chapter is posted. It's about Shadow's limiter rings- they are supposed to have been cracked. You'll find out why soon ;)**

 **(And on the off chance that some of my readers don't know/remember what STEM is, it's an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.)**

* * *

Saturday passed and Sunday came without seeing Amy's mystery visitor so much as stir. Amy had been hoping for him to wake up by maybe Saturday evening or so, so when Sunday morning rolled around and she had to go to work and leave him unattended, she was understandably anxious. But, she had to work if she wanted to keep her job, so after quickly placing a fresh glass of water on the couch-side table for the still-unconscious hedgehog, she left for her morning shift.

Amy worked in the Research and Development department of the Emerald Corporation, the most important- and well-known- scientific organization on Earth. Headquartered in Central City, the Emerald Corp. was involved in almost every aspect of STEM and its accompanying fields, from medicine to mathematical physics. It worked toward the betterment of the lives of all citizens of Earth.

Since it was Sunday, under designated Emerald Corp. policy, Amy only had to work a five-hour shift. From the moment she got to work, however, she found herself constantly glancing at the clock, worrying about her mystery guest and impatiently wanting to be able to check on him. What if he was in serious pain and needed medicine? What if he woke up while she was gone and left? He certainly wouldn't last long with his injuries. Oh, why hadn't she left him a note or something? With these worries swimming through her mind, Amy Rose groped her way through her shift, hoping she appeared more collected to her coworkers than she felt.

When Amy opened the front door to her house, nothing was out of place, but a feeling in her gut told her that it wasn't quite right. And she found that her suspicions were correct as she walked into the living room and found the crimson-and-black hedgehog lying face-down on the floor only a few feet from the couch. She set down her bag and worry rose in her chest as she quickly knelt by him. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked gently, hoping he would answer. "Wake up!" Her voice began to rise with her concern, but just then the other hedgehog began to stir. Amy let out a sigh of relief and gently rolled him over, settling his head on her knees. "...Hello?"

* * *

His mind was fuzzy, and his whole body was extremely sore. He thought he heard a voice calling out to him, but at first he couldn't answer, couldn't move at all. "M-... Maria?" he groaned as he finally pried his eyes open. But when he opened them, he saw not a human face framed by golden hair, the face of his best friend, but the face of a hedgehog, pink hair falling lightly around peach-coloured cheeks. Crimson eyes met a concerned jade, and it was then that he remembered what had happened- what _they_ had done to Maria.

What they had nearly done to him.

Sudden rage flared in his eyes as he remembered the events that had transpired that night (just two nights before, as he would find out), and the pink hedgehog gasped and pulled away slightly, taken aback. Her actions snapped him from his sudden fury, but before he could say anything, she spoke.

* * *

"Well, first thing's first; now that we know you're alive, we need to make sure you stay that way, so you need to stay down and take it easy," Amy said, carefully standing before bending down and starting to pull him up gently by the shoulders. However, she was surprised when he brushed her hands away and stood up on his own. "I can take care of myself," he insisted, turning to face her as he stood. Just turning made the room spin around him, and by the way he winced, she could tell. Giving him a disbelieving look, she raised a hand and pushed gently against his chest with one finger.

"-!" He couldn't keep his balance and fell unceremoniously backwards onto the couch. About to make an irritated remark, the male hedgehog was cut off before he could speak as his head suddenly throbbed. His hands gripped his head as he ducked it down close to his chest and his face twisted into a pained grimace.

Amy quickly laid a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you okay?" He of course made no answer, too distracted by his aching temples. The pink scientist pulled away and, after a moment's thought, went to the kitchen. "It's no surprise your head hurts," she remarked offhandedly as she retrieved a medicine bottle from the cabinet. "You're probably exhausted, I mean, who knows what kind of trouble you were in before you ended up here." She returned to her visitor's side and offered him two small red pills from the bottle. "Here, take this. It's pain medicine, it should help your head."

Crimson eyes slowly opened and glanced warily at Amy, the pain having mostly subsided for now. He looked at the bottle next, and finally at the pills in the girl's palm. Sensing no malevolence in her intentions, he accepted the medicine from her and swallowed it with the aid of some water from the glass on the table. His parched throat didn't seem to take too kindly to the sudden rush of moisture, however, and he quickly started to cough, although the pills stayed down.

"Easy there," said Amy, gently rubbing his back as she sat next to him.

The crimson-and-black hedgehog stared over at her, and the intensity of his eyes, even through the exhaustion, caught her off guard. "...Who are you?" he asked with the same quiet intensity, his voice a little rough from disuse.

She looked a little surprised. "Uh, I'm Amelia. Amelia Rose."

"Rose…" He mumbled to himself and looked away, his head swimming again. Somehow the word just felt… Important. Right, but in a way he couldn't place.

"Hm?" Amy flushed slightly. No one had ever called her that; it was always just 'Amy'.

"Nn-...!" Her visitor was struck by another sudden headache and his head fell back into his hands as his eyes shut tightly again.

Amy linked her hands in her lap and looked sidelong at him, apologetic. "The medicine won't kick in for a little bit…" she explained, not liking that she couldn't help him any further. When it seemed like the worst had passed, she suggested, "I think it would be best for you to just lie down and rest for a while." She stood and took advantage of his muddled state to gently push him back down onto the couch, guessing that he'd probably be stubborn and insist on getting up and walking around if left to his own devices. He gazed at her through eyes clouded with exhaustion, and she was reminded that despite all appearances, he was still very weak.

She laid a blanket over him and went to refill the water glass, setting it back down on the table. Then, she simply sat down against the couch where he lay, not wanting to leave him alone just yet, but not sure of exactly why. The two sat there in silence, two total strangers brought together only by chance and the right set of circumstances. Eventually, Amy cleared her throat. "Well, how about you?" she asked. "What's your name?"

As she turned her head around to look at him, she thought she saw the mildest hint of surprise in his eyes. But it was gone as quick as it had come, as he looked away and closed his eyes again. "...Shadow."

"Shadow…" Amy echoed. The name felt cool on her lips, dark and mysterious like an evening mist. The two lapsed into silence again, Shadow lying unmoving, Amy sitting with her head on her knees, both contemplating their situation. There were so many questions Amy had for the other hedgehog, all floating around in her head at once. By the time she got them all sorted out, she heard Shadow's soft, even breathing and realized that he was asleep. A bit disappointed by the fact that she didn't get the chance to ask any questions, her disappointment fell away as she turned and saw him sleeping soundly. He looked a little stronger and a little less pained than when she had left this morning. And that was good enough for now; she could very well get her answers another time.

...Though she still hadn't figured out what had happened to her flowers.


	3. Chapter 3: Questions Without Answer

**A/N: Here's the next chapter of Victims of Tomorrow! Thank you again to QuirkyRevelations and Sonic the Dovahkiin for reviewing! Also, to answer one of those lovely reviews- I try not to rush ahead just for the sake of the readers, in fact I prefer to take a while and make sure that everything is how I want it rather than forcing it out quickly. I only posted the second chapter 'cause I already had it mostly written even before I posted the first chapter, lol. But I appreciate the kind reassurances all the same, darling =) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Things may be moving slow, but I promise you it is for the sake of development. More important stuff will start happening very soon! In the meantime, thank you very much for reading!**

* * *

Amy woke bright and early the next morning to the beeping of her alarm, eyes blinking blearily open. She groaned and rolled over as she realized it was Monday, and that meant she had to work. Thankfully not until nine o'clock, a couple hours from the present moment, but the thought did little to reassure her. She didn't know what was wrong with her; she loved her job, and she loved the people she worked with. Rouge worked there, how could she not love working with her best friend? Besides which, it was always amusing to watch the dynamic between her and Knuckles. But she just didn't feel like going today. Honestly, after what she had come home to yesterday, she really didn't want to leave Shadow alone.

Shadow… She had barely found out his name before he fell asleep on her. There were so many unanswered questions still floating about… Though she supposed it was good that he felt comfortable enough to fall asleep in her presence. Then again, that may have simply been due to exhaustion. Those headaches of his had her a bit concerned, though they could also be attributed to the same. Their swiftness seemed borderline unnatural, though… Well, either way, she didn't want to add dehydration and/or malnutrition to his list of problems, so she decided to check up on him before she went about her morning routine to make sure he was well-supplied with water, and to check whether he was hungry.

Looking around when she came to the foot of the stairs, Amy peeked around the entryway into the living room and breathed a soft sigh of relief when she saw Shadow still asleep on the couch. At least he'd stayed down and hadn't tried to do anything foolish. As she walked over to retrieve his water glass, she noticed that the blanket was halfway on the floor. 'He must have slept pretty fitfully for this to end up down here,' she thought to herself as she picked it up and gently laid it back over him. Amusement played across her face as she saw him stir lightly, then curl himself into the blankets. "Good morning Shadow," she said softly as she picked up his glass and went to refill it with fresh water.

After setting the full cup back on the table, she retreated upstairs to take a shower and get ready for the work day ahead of her. She showered at a leisurely pace, enjoying the way the hot water woke up her muscles and prepared her for the day to come. After dressing in some comfortable work clothes and combing out her wet quills, she looked at the clock. 7:50, it read; she still had plenty of time to make some breakfast and care for her guest a little, should he awaken.

When Amy went back downstairs, Shadow was still asleep. 'Poor guy,' she thought, walking over to sit on the other couch and observe the ebony hedgehog. Her eyes examined his sleeping face, then traveled down to what little of his shoulder she could see under the blanket. She could see the edges of red bandages peeking out from under the fabric. Red… Crap! She had to change his bandages! Ugh, how could she forget about it until now? She only hoped that the dried blood wouldn't make the dressings stick to his fur too much. Sighing, she stood and retrieved fresh supplies from the cabinet where she kept everything medical, also grabbing the bottle of red pain pills just for good measure. It was just over-the-counter stuff, so she didn't know how much good it would really do, but it was still worth using.

After depositing everything on the table by the couch, she lingered hesitantly before deciding to go and cook some breakfast. Yes, changing his bandages was important, but she really didn't want to wake him up if she could help it. She hoped that by the time she finished cooking, he would have awakened. Though it was awfully early for someone as tired as him to wake up by himself… Shaking her head, she just hoped she wouldn't have to do it.

"Are you hungry, Shadow?" Amy called as she divided a pan full of scrambled eggs between two plates. When no answer came, she carried a plate over to the couch, hoping that he simply hadn't heard her. Unfortunately, her wishes went ungranted, and her face fell as she saw that he was still asleep. "Dang it…" She sighed in defeat and carefully set the plate on the empty couch, before bending down to gently awaken the other hedgehog. "Hey, Shadow? Sorry, but you gotta wake up," she said in an apologetic tone, lightly shaking him. "I need to re-dress your wounds…"

At first, he barely responded, but soon his eyes cracked open and he rolled over to face her. His crimson eyes glared with tired irritation and she swallowed, bravely continuing, "You need to sit up…" He just stared at her with the same expression before grudgingly obliging. She pulled the blanket off of him as he swung his legs over the side of the couch, yawning massively with the same aura of annoyance rolling off of him. "Not a morning person are you?" Amy joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit as she deftly began peeling the bandages off of him, starting with his left arm. An irate grunt was all she got from him before he suddenly winced and his free hand came to his head. Amy's nervous smile vanished. "Another headache, huh?" she murmured, sounding thoughtful. Something about those headaches just didn't seem right to her. Her thoughts wandered, combing through the various possibilities as she carefully cleaned away the dried blood from his exposed injuries and re-wrapped them in fresh gauze and linens. Placing the soiled bandages into a pile beside her as she went, she did likewise for the rest of his injuries with the same amount of care and patience.

"Alright, I'm done," she announced upon finishing, standing again and picking up the dirty bandages. "Sorry to have to wake you up, but I have to leave soon, and they were already overdue to be changed. Speaking of overdue things, you had better eat something." Green eyes drifted over to find crimson watching her every move, crimson that suddenly averted itself as a growl was heard. Amy's lips curved up in a smile before she could help herself as she continued, "Even your stomach agrees. Feed it before it eats itself." Placing the full plate on the table in front of him, she went to put the soiled dressings in the laundry.

Shadow made no move toward the food on the table, instead continuing to watch her. His stomach gnawed at his insides as he all at once became aware of just how empty it felt. Which led him to another thing… "...How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long have I been here?"

Amy paused on her way back from the kitchen and looked at the ceiling in thought. "Lemme see… It's been two days since I found you in the yard on Saturday morning."

'Which means I presumably ended up here on Friday night… Three days ago... ' the ebony hedgehog thought to himself as he looked down at the plate before him, contemplating this new information.

"No wonder you're hungry," Amy added, sitting on the other couch and leaning over to put her shoes on. "So you'd better eat." Shadow just looked at her as she stood, feeling a light throbbing begin anew in his head. "What? It's not poisoned or anything." The scientist crossed her arms and stared back at him, narrowing her eyes. " _Eat. Now_ ," she said in an impatient and authoritative tone. "Or do I have to feed it to you?"

At this the male hedgehog made an irritated noise and looked away, picking up the fork. Amy thought his cheeks were a bit red, but she couldn't be sure. "I can do it myself," he responded curtly before beginning to eat.

Amy gave him a sunny smile. "Wonderful!" she remarked in satisfaction, watching him for a few moments longer before going to put on her jacket, looking at the clock on the stove. 8:45. "Listen, I have to go to work. I'll be back around five-thirty or so. In the meantime, feel free to wander around the house and check things out to your heart's content, but for now I think it would be better if you stayed inside and didn't go out walking around the city just yet." Shrugging her shoulders into the jacket, she explained, "You're not fully healed yet, and we don't want you collapsing again, especially not in the middle of the street or something." She drew his attention to the medicine bottle on the table in front of him. "Take two of these if your head starts hurting again. Also, you can help yourself to anything in the fridge," she finished as she picked up his already-empty plate. Depositing it in the sink, she turned and gave him a little wave, opening the front door. "I'll see you tonight! Take it easy!" she called as she closed the door behind her.

Shadow stared at the closed door for a few long moments after Amy left, then let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the couch, hands coming to his temples and rubbing in an effort to stave off the headache that had been threatening itself for a while. He laid an arm over his eyes, listening to the sound of his own breathing and letting his thoughts wander. _Three days_. It'd been three days since he'd run, since he'd lost himself and somehow ended up here. Three days since he'd quite literally crashed into the backyard of his new benefactor, who scarcely knew who he was yet cared for him all the same. Three days that had somehow passed without incident despite the fact that _they_ were most certainly looking for him.

"What is this place?" he wondered aloud. What place was this, where _they_ had not yet found him and taken him? What place was this sanctuary where he could rest and recover his body and mind without _them_ breaking down the door?

Moving his arm away, he lifted his head and looked around. To his right was a wood stove, with a pile of logs next to it and a television mounted on the wall above; across from him was a window with drawn blinds, and another couch; to his left was a small kitchen. "I may as well look around," he mumbled to himself as he stood, stretching carefully. His legs felt stiff from disuse, but walking would remedy it soon enough.

Looking around the first floor, he found an area next to the kitchen that contained some working desktop computers and a sitting space, as well as the front door. He also found a bathroom, and some stairs, which he scaled- albeit slowly- to the second floor. Some pictures hung on the wall beside the stairs, but for now he didn't pay them much attention. He'd look at them later.

An office-type room sat to his left, and another bathroom to his right. A short walkway crossed a gap from which one could look down to the first floor, and after that were two rooms on either side- two spare bedrooms. At the end of the hallway was the door to the master bedroom, which he could only assume was Amy's room. "A surprisingly big house for one person…" he remarked as he returned downstairs, still vaguely looking around.

He headed over to the desk with the computers. "Maybe I can find some clue as to where I am…" He pressed the power button on one of the computers and the tower whirred to life, small lights coming on and blinking here and there. The screen switched on and he selected the only available profile.

"Damn. Of course it needs a password," he sighed as he was greeted with a login bar. Turning the computer back off, he tried the other one with the same results. Met with more of the same when he tried the laptop next to the computers, he finally gave up, letting out an annoyed growl and walking over to the front door. He laid his hand on the doorknob, intending to go out and explore the area- Amy's wishes be damned- but as soon as he did so, thoughts flashed into his mind, thoughts of _that place_ , and of other things he didn't much enjoy thinking of, and a sudden chill ran down his spine, making him back away from the door. He stared at the wood as if in a trance before pain suddenly tore through his consciousness. 'Dammit, another headache?' he mentally cursed as his knees buckled and he fell to the floor. It was worse than ever before, and it was all he could do not to cry out in pain as he gripped his head and laid there in immobilizing agony.

It seemed like hours passed before the pain subsided and he could open his eyes again, let alone move. Sitting up, he still clutched his head as some strength gradually returned to his body. He stood shakily and found his way back to the couch, sitting down, taking a long drink of the water that sat on the table, and swallowing two of the pain pills with it. Setting the glass back down, he laid on the couch and draped his arm over his eyes again, feeling drained. "These headaches… What's going on with me?" he mumbled softly, his last conscious action before he fell asleep for another long while.

* * *

Amy returned home just as the sun was setting, and found Shadow fast asleep. "Geez, what were you up to while I was gone?" she wondered, laying a blanket over him again. "Sleeping so hard you won't wake up even when I've got something important to talk to you about, huh? You poor thing." She shook her head. "Well, I suppose it can wait 'til tomorrow morning. Just… try not to sleep in _too_ late, okay?" The pink hedgehog smiled as she turned off the light. "Goodnight, Shadow."

* * *

 **A/N: I don't usually do end author's notes, but I just felt like it this time. I hope you all enjoyed this latest installment! What's up with all the headaches, you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out! And reviews are the biggest motivation for me to write and get the next chapter out quickly! =) So please leave me any feedback you may have! Thank you for reading!**

 **-Rain**


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